Aches and pains seem to be the lot of humanity. Doctors can testify that they treat more patients for pain than for any other ailment, and the remedy is invariably the same: a prescription for a painkiller, such as a powerful and reliable NSAID (nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory drug), a steroid or an opioid.
Around a third of all American adults suffer constant chronic pain, and many of them never bother the doctor; instead, they self-medicate with an OTC (over-the-counter) painkiller from their pharmacy, choosing either an acetaminophen, marketed as Panadol and Tylenol, or an NSAID, a family of drugs that includes ibuprofen and aspirin and is designed to stop inflammation in the body.
Aspirin started the rush for analgesics in 1917 when it became the first OTC painkiller. Since then, painkillers have
